diff --git a/Core/Core.cc b/Core/Core.cc
index b5338171693f6bcb15b95e3cbb2754f25267fc2e..2e6643c22afeba08d50917991a0cfa9c5b929ecd 100644
--- a/Core/Core.cc
+++ b/Core/Core.cc
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ Core() :
   coordsysMaterialNode_ = new ACG::SceneGraph::MaterialNode(root_node_scenegraph_,"Coordsys Material Node");
   coordsysNode_ = new ACG::SceneGraph::CoordsysNode(coordsysMaterialNode_,"Core Coordsys Node");
   coordsysNode_->setTraverseMode (BaseNode::NodeFirst | BaseNode::SecondPass);
+  gridNode_ = new ACG::SceneGraph::GridNode(root_node_scenegraph_,"Grid Node");
+  gridNode_->hide();
 
    // Add ViewMode All
   ViewMode* vm = new ViewMode();
diff --git a/Core/Core.hh b/Core/Core.hh
index 638280ad805a06ce1f8d8ad2c6cabeeadcafbe9c..0cc14acd4771cd8e908388f81e51715b0cec84b8 100644
--- a/Core/Core.hh
+++ b/Core/Core.hh
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
 #include <OpenFlipper/Core/PluginInfo.hh>
 
 #include <ACG/Scenegraph/CoordsysNode.hh>
+#include <ACG/Scenegraph/GridNode.hh>
 
 //== CLASS DEFINITION =========================================================
 
@@ -579,6 +580,9 @@ private:
       /// Node for the coordinate system
       ACG::SceneGraph::CoordsysNode* coordsysNode_;
 
+      /// Node for the grid
+      ACG::SceneGraph::GridNode* gridNode_;
+
    /** @} */
 
    //===========================================================================
diff --git a/Core/ParseIni.cc b/Core/ParseIni.cc
index e0017c2101891c94ab92f987bd8219ba5fd70fda..6e932e22f71964765e681db3672311cfa8e9ac2e 100644
--- a/Core/ParseIni.cc
+++ b/Core/ParseIni.cc
@@ -253,6 +253,13 @@ void Core::readApplicationOptions(INIFile& _ini) {
     if ( _ini.get_entry( translation, "Options" , "Translation") )
       OpenFlipper::Options::translation(translation);
 
+    //============================================================================
+    // Load the setting for the gridVisibility
+    //============================================================================
+    bool visible = false;
+    if ( _ini.get_entry( visible, "Options" , "GridVisible") )
+      OpenFlipper::Options::gridVisible(visible);
+
     //============================================================================
     // Load the setting for the viewer layout
     //============================================================================
@@ -570,6 +577,7 @@ void Core::writeApplicationOptions(INIFile& _ini) {
 
     _ini.add_entry("Options","DefaultViewerLayout", OpenFlipper::Options::defaultViewerLayout() );
     _ini.add_entry("Options","Translation", OpenFlipper::Options::translation() );
+    _ini.add_entry("Options","GridVisible", OpenFlipper::Options::gridVisible() );
 
     _ini.add_entry("Options","MultiView", OpenFlipper::Options::multiView() );
     _ini.add_entry("Options","ViewerCount", OpenFlipper::Options::examinerWidgets() );
diff --git a/Core/optionHandling.cc b/Core/optionHandling.cc
index 807eaaddf13dd32dc880355277a6731a4b7ae856..9a9a45ddef3e5ccda373149ae740076127ffcb21 100644
--- a/Core/optionHandling.cc
+++ b/Core/optionHandling.cc
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ void Core::applyOptions(){
     if ( OpenFlipper::Options::multiView() )
       coreWidget_->setViewerLayout( OpenFlipper::Options::defaultViewerLayout() );
 
+    if ( OpenFlipper::Options::gridVisible() )
+      gridNode_->show();
+    else
+      gridNode_->hide();
+
     //set defaultBackgroundColor
     QColor c = OpenFlipper::Options::defaultBackgroundColor() ;
 
diff --git a/common/GlobalOptions.cc b/common/GlobalOptions.cc
index ba225e709a45c1990da479f5abd03a35d246b229..769598179777d02c50bb3972c41c4085d33d278d 100644
--- a/common/GlobalOptions.cc
+++ b/common/GlobalOptions.cc
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ static int redrawDisabled_ = 0;
 /// Set if a drawMode Menu should always be in the context menu
 static bool drawModesInContextMenu_ = true;
 
+/// Set if a grid should be drawn in every viewer
+static bool gridVisible_ = false;
+
 /// Store the toolbox gui Mode mode
 static bool hideToolbox_ = false;
 
@@ -729,6 +732,13 @@ void drawModesInContextMenu(bool _show) {
   drawModesInContextMenu_ = _show;
 }
 
+bool gridVisible() {
+  return gridVisible_;
+}
+
+void gridVisible(bool _visible) {
+  gridVisible_ = _visible;
+}
 
 void multiView( bool _multiView) {
   multiView_ = _multiView;
diff --git a/common/GlobalOptions.hh b/common/GlobalOptions.hh
index 18d6ed23f3ce923ef1d64b6a09558908780a9edf..b5c8b44b72d758ee6701fda227406ab7d99d6781 100644
--- a/common/GlobalOptions.hh
+++ b/common/GlobalOptions.hh
@@ -583,6 +583,14 @@ bool dataDir(QString _dir);
   DLLEXPORT
   void drawModesInContextMenu(bool _show);
 
+  /// Get the flag if a grid should be drawn in every viewer
+  DLLEXPORT
+  bool gridVisible();
+
+  /// Set the flag if a grid should be drawn in every viewer
+  DLLEXPORT
+  void gridVisible(bool _visible);
+
 /** @} */
 
 //===========================================================================
diff --git a/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.cc b/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.cc
index 4d63defd491f1a88939a1110de0ccd0924324165..24c045a7f1e53e967977dea491a9aeb87d5ed73b 100644
--- a/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.cc
+++ b/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.cc
@@ -295,6 +295,8 @@ void OptionsWidget::showEvent ( QShowEvent * /*event*/ ) {
 
   viewerLayout->setCurrentIndex( OpenFlipper::Options::defaultViewerLayout() );
   
+  gridVisible->setChecked (OpenFlipper::Options::gridVisible());
+
   if (OpenFlipper::Options::translation() == "en_US")
     translation->setCurrentIndex(0);
   else if (OpenFlipper::Options::translation() == "de_DE")
@@ -544,6 +546,7 @@ void OptionsWidget::slotApply() {
   }
 
   OpenFlipper::Options::defaultViewerLayout( viewerLayout->currentIndex() );
+  OpenFlipper::Options::gridVisible( gridVisible->isChecked() );
 
   switch ( translation->currentIndex() ){
     case 0 : OpenFlipper::Options::translation("en_US");  break;
diff --git a/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.ui b/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.ui
index 48af8baf2cfd37e1af19b2c6df623d4f5c99196b..8a7b9df4cff8e313d06b9a13d4a7cfb31a4a561c 100644
--- a/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.ui
+++ b/widgets/optionsWidget/optionsWidget.ui
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       <string/>
      </property>
      <property name="currentIndex">
-      <number>0</number>
+      <number>2</number>
      </property>
      <property name="usesScrollButtons">
       <bool>true</bool>
@@ -385,6 +385,16 @@
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
+          <item>
+           <widget class="QCheckBox" name="gridVisible">
+            <property name="toolTip">
+             <string>show a grid in the back of every viewer</string>
+            </property>
+            <property name="text">
+             <string>Show grid</string>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
           <item>
            <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_18">
             <item>